Storm-front for vehicles.



No. 784,080. PATENTED MAR. 7, 1905. M. STIEFF. STORM FRONT FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ym/knew an No. 784,080. PATENTED MAR. 7, 1905. M. STIEFF.

STORM FRONT FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION rmm JULY 5,1904.

2 SEBET8-BBEET 2.

No. vsaoeo.

Patented March '7, 1905.

ii AT'T MICHAEL STIEFF, OF FREMONT, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO (.iEOhfvrE I-l'. Vv'l'lllEY, OF FREMONT, OHIO.

STORM-FRONT FOR El llt'DlhES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784,080, dated March '7, 1905.

Application filed July 5, 1904:, Serial No. 215,386.

To on whom, it 71mg concern:

Be it known that 1, MICHAEL S'rlnrr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fremont, in the county of Sand usky and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Storm-Front, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in storm-fronts arranged to be placed over the front portions of a vehicle to protect the occupants thereof from the elements during stormy weather. Those devices of the above character that are now commonly in use are when applied secured to the vehicle so that persons cannot readily alight from or enter such vehicle and the occupants are so thoroughly shut and fastened in that it is impossible to make a hasty exit with safety in case of danger. Moreover, it ordinarily requires considerable time and patience. to apply the storm-front.

The principal object in the present invention is to provide a structure which can be immediately thrown to operative or inoperative position without the necessity of alighting, said structure constituting a thorough protection when in use and being entirely out of the way when not wanted.

Another object is to provide a hood of the above character that can be readily applied to and adjusted for any ordinary top and, having been once so adjusted, can be detached whenever it may be desirable.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and is described in the following specification. An inspection of the claims hereto appended will clearly show, however, that the invention is not limited to the struetu re shown and described, but is open to many changes and modifications.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle-body, showing the improved hood or front applied thereto and in operative relation. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the top-frame with the hood-frame in place thereon. Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the frame with the hood-frame thrown to an inoperative position. Fig. 4c is a detail perspective view of the connection between the supporting-bow and the vehicle-top bow and 5 between said su morting-bow and the frame. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view through one of the keepers.

Similar reference-numorals indicate corresponding, parts in all the figures of the drawings.

in the embodiment illustrated the body is designated 6 and has at its front end the usual upstanding dash '7. A seat 8, mounted on the body, is provided with the usual top 9, hav- ()0 ing a frame comprising bows 1.0.

The improved front employed in connection with the top is preferably in the form of an attachment and is constructed as follows: A su n'iorting member in the form of a 5 bow 11 .is arranged within the top and conforms, substantially, to the shape of the cen tralbow of said top. to which it is connected by means of upper and lower clips 12. Keeperblocks l3 have opel'iings let, that slidably re- 7 ceive the sides of the bow 11, the openings being preferably slightly greater in diameter than the how. The blocks are thus vertically adjustable upon the sides of the bow. llorizontally-disposed stems 15 are slidably mount- 7 5 ed in openings 16, formed in the blocks, said stems bearing against the sides of the bow 11, as illustrated in Fig. 5. The stems are held against movement in the blocks and the blocks are maintained against movement on the bow by means of set-screws l7, threaded into said blocks and bearing against the bow, thereby clamping the various elements together,as will be apparent. The stems are provided at their front ends with cars 18, to which is piv-- oted a hood-frame consisting of bows l9, radiating from the pivots and rigidly connected by rods 20. A flexible strap 21, connected to the rearmost bow 19 of the frame and having a detachable connection with the how 11, o

located between the bows i9 and the connect ing-rods 20. The covering dwends below the outer bow, as shown at 24, so as to completely inclose the space between the sides of these at and the dash and to overlap said dash. The front portion of these depending curtains is provided with a transversely-disposed reinreceiving slot 25, communicating with which is an entrance-slot 26, extending into the covering from the lower edge thereof.

In applying the structure to a vehicle-top the supporting-bow 11 is first clipped to the central bow of the top and constitutes, in effect, a permanent attachment thereto. The stems 15 are then placed in the keepers, the strap 21 fastened in place, and the frame adjusted until the hood will properly position itself when drawn forward and be out of the way when swung backwardly. It will be evident that with this structure the hood when not wanted foruse can be swung within the top, which will inclose the same, and that said hood will be out of the way. hen wanted for use, the occupant has merely to swing the hood forwardly and it will assume the position shown in Fig. 1, constituting a complete and efficient protection over the front of the vehicle-body. The reins are passed through the entrance-slot 26 and into the slot 25, so that they will not interfere with the movement of the hood. Thus it will be seen that a device of this sort is easily operable, can be instantly swung to operative or inoperative position, and that the device is in the form of an attachment easily applicable to any buggy-top. Moreover, if it should become desirable to detach the hood from the top the same can be readily accomplished by disengaging the strap 21 from the supporting-bow 11 and removing the stems 15 from their keepers.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a storm-front, the combination with a supporting mem ber, of means for attaching the same against movement to a bow of a vehicletop, a storm-front hood having its outer portion freely movable, and pivotal connections between the ends of the hood and supporting member.

2. In a storm-front, the combination with a supporting-bow, of means for attaching the same to a bowof and within a vehicle-top, a storm-front hood movable into and out of said top, and means for pivotally connecting the ends of the hood to the bow.

3. In a storm-front, the combination with a supporting-bow, of clips for attaching the bow to a vehicle-top frame, a storm-front frame,

'a covering carried by the frame, and means connecting the storm-front frame and bow to permit the swinging movement of said frame.

4. In a storm-front, the combination with supporting means, of devices for attaching the same to a bow of a vehicle-top, a storm-front hood, and pivots connecting the supporting means and hood and being adjustable on one of the same to vary the position of the hood with respect to the supporting means.

5. In a storm-front, the combination with supporting means, of devices for attaching the same to a bow of a vehicle-top, a storm-front hood, and pivots carried by the hood and having adjustable connections with the supporting means.

6. In a storm-front, the combination with a supporting-bow, of devices for attaching the same to a bow of a vehicle-top and within such top, a storm-front hood, pivots carried by the hood and having stems, and means for adjustably connecting the stems to the supportingbow.

7. In a storm-front, the combination with a supporting-bow, of means for attaching the same to a vehicle-top, stems, keepers adjustably securing the stems to the bow, a frame pivoted to the stems, and a covering carried by the frame.

8. In a storm-front, the combination with a supporting-bow, of means for securing the same to a vehicletop, stems vertically adjustable upon the sides of the bow, means for securing the stems at different heights upon the bow, and a storm-front pivoted to the stems.

9. In a storm-front, the combination with a supporting-bow, of means for attaching the same to a vehicle-top, stems located transversely of the sides of the bow and longitudinally adjustable thereon, keepers securing the stems to the bow, and a storm-front pivoted to the how.

10. In a storm-front, the combination with a supporting-bow, of spaced clips for securing the sides of the bow to the sides of the vehicle-top bow, keepers vertically adjustable upon the sides of the supporting-bow, stems horizontally adjustable in the keepers, a frame pivoted to the stems and comprising bows, and a covering carried by the frame.

11. In a storm-front, the combination with a stationary supporting-bow, of a frame, a covering carried by the frame, connections between the bow and frame to permit the swinging movement of the latter, and a strap connection between the frame and the supporting-bow.

12. Inastorm-front, the combination with a supporting member, of means for securing the same to a vehicle-top, a frame detachably connected to the supporting member, and a detachable and flexible connection between the a covering carried by the frame, and a flexible and detachable connection between the frameand the supporting-bow.

15. In a storm-front, the combination with a vehicle-top, of a storm-front comprising a hood pivoted at the lower ends of its opposite sides within the top and arranged to be projected beyond the front edge of said top, and a flexible connection between the top and hood for limiting the movement of the hood.

16. In a storm-front, the combination with a vehicle-top, of a storm-front hood pivoted at its opposite sides to the sides of the top and arranged to be projected beyond the front of said top, said hood comprising a frame of spaced rigidly-connected bows, a covering carried by the bows, and means for limiting the swinging movement of the hood.

17 A storm-front hood having a rein-receiving slot and an onset entrance-slot communicating therewith and extending into the hood from one edge of the same.

18. In a storm-front, the combination with a vehicle-top, of a supporting-bow secured to the bow of the vehicle-top, stems detachably secured. to the supporting-bow, a storm-front frame pivoted to the stems and movable into and out of the top, a covering carried by the frame, and a flexible connection between the frame and the supporting-bow.

19. As an attachment, a storm-front comprising a supporting device, means for securing the same within a foldingvehicle-top, and a storm-li'ront hood having a pivotal connection with the supporting device and having its outer portion movable into and out of the vehicle-top.

20. As an attachment, a storm'front comprising a storm-front hood movable into and out of a vehicle-top and having a pivotal connection therewith, and a flexible stop having connections with the top and hood and detachable from one of the same.

21. As an attachment, a storm-front eo111- prising a supporting device, means forsecuring the same within and to a bow of a fold ing vehicle-top, a storm-front hood movable into and out of the vehicle-top and having a detachable pivotal connection with the supporting device, and a flexible stop connecting the hood and supporting device and detachable, whereby said hood may be detached from the supporting device and removed from the top.

22. The combination with a vehicle having a top and dash, of a storm-front hood pivotally connected to the top and having its outer portion movable into and out of the same, said hood including a cover having an outer free apron portion that depends sufliciently to engage over the dash when said hood is projected beyond the top.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MICHAEL STIIEFF. WVitness'es:

G190. l/V. HAYNms, (i mono n H. NV l'lII EY. 

